Rents are 6% below what Brea's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $2,916 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
February. Asking rents in Brea usually run 1% below trend in February and 0.8% above it in August, about $52 a month apart at today's median. Based on 9 years of data.
Rent in Brea is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in April 2017.
Rent in Brea changed +3.5% over the year to September 2026. Across the 336 California cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +3.4%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Brea rose 31% while median household income rose 38.8% ($94,492 to $131,129). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in Brea is 38.4% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 5 months in a row, and rose in 10 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($131,129) is $3,278 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($3,010); a 3-bedroom is $4,070.
Rowland Heights, 3 miles away, rents for 17% less ($2,421/mo), about $5,900 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Brea. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Brea, CA is majority owner-occupied, has a median income above the national average, 52.2% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Brea, CA has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2021, rent in Brea, CA has climbed by $721 per month, settling near $2,916 after starting the period at $2,195. Household income in the area moved from $108,721 to $131,129 across the same window, up 20.6% versus 2021. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 12.2 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Headcount in the area went from 46,912 to 47,469 between 2021 and 2024, a 1.2% change. About 40.3% of households rent today, against 37.5% in 2021. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 49.5% to 52.2%. Reading these numbers side by side helps frame whether current listings in Brea, CA look reasonable against where the market sat half a decade ago.
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Can you afford rent in Brea on your salary?
At $2,916/mo, how Brea rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Brea rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Brea. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Brea
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Brea is $2,916/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $2,440/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $3,010/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $2,540/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $4,070/mo.
At 27% of local median household income ($131,129/yr), Brea ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 3.5% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Brea?
At $2,916/mo, rent takes ~27% of Brea's median household income ($131,129/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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